The end of the earnings season is always a good time to take a step back and see who shined (and who not so much). Let’s take a look at how shelf-stable food stocks fared in Q4, starting with Simply Good Foods (NASDAQ: SMPL).

As America industrialized and moved away from an agricultural economy, people faced more demands on their time. Packaged foods emerged as a solution offering convenience to the evolving American family, whether it be canned goods or snacks. Today, Americans seek brands that are high in quality, reliable, and reasonably priced. Furthermore, there's a growing emphasis on health-conscious and sustainable food options. Packaged food stocks are considered resilient investments. People always need to eat, so these companies can enjoy consistent demand as long as they stay on top of changing consumer preferences. The industry spans from multinational corporations to smaller specialized firms and is subject to food safety and labeling regulations.

The 21 shelf-stable food stocks we track reported a mixed Q4. As a group, revenues were in line with analysts’ consensus estimates while next quarter’s revenue guidance was 0.5% above.

While some shelf-stable food stocks have fared somewhat better than others, they have collectively declined. On average, share prices are down 1.6% since the latest earnings results.

Simply Good Foods (NASDAQ: SMPL)

Best known for its Atkins brand that was inspired by the popular diet of the same name, Simply Good Foods (NASDAQ: SMPL) is a packaged food company whose offerings help customers achieve their healthy eating or weight loss goals.

Simply Good Foods reported revenues of $341.3 million, up 10.6% year on year. This print fell short of analysts’ expectations by 1.9%. Overall, it was a mixed quarter for the company with a decent beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.

"We continue to see increased relevance and "mainstreaming" of nutritional snacking products as consumers seek high protein, low-sugar, low-carb foods.

The stock is down 5.5% since reporting and currently trades at $34.76.

Is now the time to buy Simply Good Foods? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Best Q4: Lancaster Colony (NASDAQ: LANC)

Known for its frozen garlic bread and Parkerhouse rolls, Lancaster Colony (NASDAQ: LANC) sells bread, dressing, and dips to the retail and food service channels.

Lancaster Colony reported revenues of $509.3 million, up 4.8% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 2.8%. The business had a very strong quarter with an impressive beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.

Lancaster Colony achieved the biggest analyst estimates beat among its peers. The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 11.7% since reporting. It currently trades at $185.99.

Is now the time to buy Lancaster Colony? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Weakest Q4: Lamb Weston (NYSE: LW)

Best known for its Grown in Idaho brand, Lamb Weston (NYSE: LW) produces and distributes potato products such as frozen french fries and mashed potatoes.

Lamb Weston reported revenues of $1.60 billion, down 7.6% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 4.3%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted full-year revenue guidance missing analysts’ expectations.

Lamb Weston delivered the weakest full-year guidance update in the group. As expected, the stock is down 31.4% since the results and currently trades at $53.59.

Read our full analysis of Lamb Weston’s results here.

Conagra (NYSE: CAG)

Founded in 1919 as Nebraska Consolidated Mills in Omaha, Nebraska, Conagra Brands today (NYSE: CAG) boasts a diverse portfolio of packaged foods brands that includes everything from whipped cream to jarred pickles to frozen meals.

Conagra reported revenues of $3.20 billion, flat year on year. This number topped analysts’ expectations by 1.3%. Zooming out, it was a mixed quarter as it also recorded a solid beat of analysts’ organic revenue estimates but full-year EPS guidance missing analysts’ expectations.

The stock is down 4.3% since reporting and currently trades at $26.19.

Read our full, actionable report on Conagra here, it’s free.

Hain Celestial (NASDAQ: HAIN)

Sold in over 75 countries around the world, Hain Celestial (NASDAQ: HAIN) is a natural and organic food company whose products range from snacks to teas to baby food.

Hain Celestial reported revenues of $411.5 million, down 9.4% year on year. This print lagged analysts' expectations by 4.4%. It was a disappointing quarter as it also produced a significant miss of analysts’ organic revenue and adjusted operating income estimates.

Hain Celestial had the weakest performance against analyst estimates and slowest revenue growth among its peers. The stock is down 13.9% since reporting and currently trades at $4.02.

Read our full, actionable report on Hain Celestial here, it’s free.

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